Get teens outside, build connections within.
We empower teens to cultivate healthy, intentional, and connected lives through experiencing the outdoors alongside pro athlete mentors.
Our mission
Meet our pro athlete mentors
-
Sidney is a NFL Pro Bowl (2009) wide receiver and Super Bowl XLVIII champion with the Seattle Seahawks. Since joining our advisory team in 2017, his commitment to helping TNP create opportunities for kids to connect with nature has been an invaluable factor in our ability to reach our goals as an organization.
-
“Our purpose in life is to serve. I choose to mentor with TNP to help as many teens as possible to experience new activities and share our life stories and perspectives.” When Lofa is in nature, he feels a certain level of peace and mental clarity that he can’t get anywhere else. To Lofa, nature is an incredible resource for healing, feeling connected, and grounded.
-
Nature is a safe space for Nikki. Sitting and listening to the sounds of nature and taking deep breaths helps her feel re-centered and rejuvenated to take on whatever is next. Mentoring with TNP allows Nikki to bring the outdoors an all of its benefits to her community.
-
KJ played nine years with the Seattle Sounders, 30 times with the US national team and won a couple MLS cups. But being outdoors, is his true passion. “I feel most at home when I am out here and away from all the distractions. This is the place I love the most. In terms of being intentional, I let myself be involved with nature as that's where we find ourselves most at home. Allowing myself to do that is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, tool in my life.”
-
“We constantly feel stressed about life with all the distractions in modern day life, in addition to all the narratives that we tell ourselves. We don't need a break from life but a break from people. You can't get away from it unless you are in silence, in quiet, in peace. I played for the Seahawks for 8 years and we studied meditation. They taught us that when you feel stress, take a deep breath, feel your fingertips, smell the grass, connect back to your reality, that's when you can perform at a high level.”
-
More than a Super Bowl Champion, Doug is the CEO of Vault89, Founder of the Family First Community center, and a philanthropic activist recognized for his efforts in humanitarian and community service. “My connection with nature is a very valuable part of my life, it's been really grounding for me to be a part of giving these kids beneficial outdoor experiences & tools that I had growing up. I’m all about crushing nature”.
Our founder story
Ten years ago, Cooper Helfet took his Seattle Seahawks teammates into the Pacific Northwest wilderness. What happened surprised everyone, the outdoors brought them closer to themselves and each other than the game ever had.
His teammates said: this needs to exist for kids. That moment became The Nature Project, and our belief in what's possible has never been stronger.
Follow our community
